Lines Form At Boca Club - That's Good And Bad

GiGi's might be easy to miss amid the Mizner Park weekend hubbub, since it's set back from the main drag. But it's worth seeking out.

Although it bills itself as (take a breath) GiGi's Tavern, Oyster Bar & Cafe, the bottom line is that it's a commodious restaurant by day and a cooking dance club by night.

Judging by the appetizers we sampled, it probably pulls off the former very well. The nightclub part could use some work.

It's not that the house band isn't terrific. The foursome, Kinetix, on programmed keyboards, drums and sax, are led on vocals by two women with star-quality pipes. They cover a variety of hits, from the old Low Rider to Genie in a Bottle. Listening to their versions, you'll forget you were sick of Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5 after the first 500 times or are already being driven crazy by Ricky You-Know-Who's Living La Vida Loca. Their talent is even bigger than the room.

No, the fault lies with management. The dance floor is large and fills up fast, and all of these people, as well as dozens more who just want a drink or a bite to eat, have only one source to quench their thirst: a 10-seat bar staffed by a lone bartender who is set up to fail. Tending this bar must be the job from hell, despite what must be a great nightly taking in tips.

Customers are shortchanged in an atmosphere where trying to get a drink is like bidding on the trading floor of a stock exchange and the bartender is so overwhelmed, she hands out drinks -- and worse, credit cards -- to the wrong people.

GiGi's could build another bar twice the size on the other side of the dance floor and easily fill it. Unless standing four deep at a bar is your idea of a good time, get here early. And if you do make it to the front ranks, be ready to baby-sit other dancers' drinks.

Nightlife news

TONIGHT/SATURDAY: Want to see what Darva missed when she did not want to stay married to a multi-millionaire? Darva's ex-husband, Rick Rockwell, has a 9 p.m. show tonight and 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. performances Saturday at Bocanuts Comedy Club, 8221 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Reservations are suggested. Call 561-470-6887.

TONIGHT: The good news is Josh Smith and the Frost recently released the group's fourth original music CD. Even better news is that at 9:30 p.m. the group performs at Ray's Downtown Blues, 619 Clematis St., West Palm Beach.

SATURDAY: Attend the first Concert on the Green from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Links at Boynton Beach, 8020 Jog Road, West Boynton Beach. Bring the children and listen to the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches play pop, swing and jazz. Tickets for a family of four are $25; single tickets are $10.

SUNDAY: Visit Club Safari at Palm Beach Gardens Marriott, 4000 RCA Blvd., Palm Beach. Fashioned to resemble the temple of the kahuna, the club offers Top 40 dance music. While there, check out the giant kahuna head with moving arms and a mouth belching fire from two large pots, a monkey behind bamboo bars, animal heads and a hanging skeleton.

TUESDAY: At 7:30 p.m., the Swing & Jazz Preservation Society of Florida presents the Statesmen of Jazz at the Pine Crest School of Performing Arts Center, 2700 St. Andrews Blvd., Boca Raton. Admission is $20 for members, $25 nonmembers.

THURSDAY: Pack up the family and take them to one of two free outdoor events: From 6 to 9 p.m., Clematis by Night, the weekly celebration on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach features the blues band Iko Iko. From 7 to 9 p.m., Concerts in the Park showcases Steve Gryb's 8-Piece Swing Band at the Bryant Park Bandshell in Lake Worth.